B is for Bicarb
by MariatheWordsmith
Summary: My second edition of the alphabet challenge. This one is a little darker and includes death as a theme, so warning for death and related dreams. Johnny can't sleep after a call. Surprisingly, someone else can't either.


_Roy and Johnny were coping, until the husband saw them leaving. The husband walked over to them and stopped them. Johnny could feel Marco changing his stance to a protective one, ready to defend his friends. What the husband said shocked them all. "Thank you." he uttered. _

John Gage shot up in his bunk panting. He forced himself to slow his breathing down. He looked around, hoping he hadn't woken anyone else up. No one else stirred. Breathing a sigh of relief, he swung his legs over the bed. Standing up, he silently pulled on his turnout gear and shuffled out of the dorms for the locker room. In his locker, he pulled out a tea bag from a box he kept there. Tea in hand, he headed for the day room. He hunted for the kettle. A couple minutes passed and he was unsuccessful at finding it. Muttering under his breath, he pulled out a pan and filled it with water. "How can you lose a damn teapot." he said, standing at the stove waiting for the water to boil. He washed his face in the sink and dried it with a paper towel. He knew he wasn't going to fall back asleep tonight. Glancing down at his watch he sighed, '0431'. The water had a few bubbles in the pot, not quite ready yet. Johnny pulled a mug out of the drying rack and threw the bag in it.

His dream reappeared in the kitchen as he waited for the water to boil. _John and Roy walked into a rancher. They followed a concerned neighbor who called because every day at three, Janice took her dogs out for a walk. Janice hadn't been seen and the dogs could be heard barking. Roy looked through the window. "I see feet John." he said seriously. John requested police for forcible entry and an engine for manpower, just in case._

_ Minutes later, John was pumping on the women's chest. It didn't pass his attention that if he stopped, she would be dead. She was in asystole, after initially finding her in V-tach and shocking her. He desperately tried to ignore the whining of the dogs in the background as he concentrated on his task. He watched Roy going for an IV with the biophone thrown over his shoulder. John prayed that Roy would get a vein, the lady needed epi and bicarb. John heard the engine pull up outside and he sighed in relief. Moments later, 51's crew walked in. Chet took over compressions and Johnny jumped up, reaching for the drug box, stopping to first toss an oxygen mask at Marco. Stanley took the biophone from Roy's shoulder and moved it out of the way so he could talk for the busy paramedics. John pulled out an epi and tossed the parts to Mike, knowing he could put them together. Then he pulled out a laryngoscope and blade, getting ready to intubate the lady Chet was keeping alive. After a moment he said, "Tell Rampart she's intubated and has an IV." John said, after glancing at Roy's successful work. He could hear Stanley talking to Rampart. He and Roy shared a glance, if they acted quickly, they could get her back. Roy pushed the first epi, then started getting a bicarb ready, anticipating Rampart's orders. _

_ "We copy Rampart, 50 amps of bicarb." Stanley said, repeating the orders out loud for everyone to hear._

_Soon an elderly man came rushing through the broken door. "What's going on?" he asked, seeing the crowd of people in his kitchen. Roy and Johnny looked at Mike, hoping he could take the lead and explain. He nodded and took the man to the living room, following the sounds of the dogs. _

"_Bicarbs in." Roy announced. That was echoed back to Rampart. _

"_Hey guys, that looks different" Marco said, looking at the monitor while breathing for the patient. _

"_She's in v-tach again!" Johnny said, deftly pulling out the paddles. Clear?" he asked, looking around. When he received four nods, he shocked the lady. Her body convulsed in time with her husband's cry of lament. _

_Early could be heard over the biophone, "She's still in V-tach, shock her again and give 300 amiodorane." Hank dutifully copied the order. As Roy set it up the drug, Johnny shocked the lady at the same time. Chet and Marco switched places, Chet wiping his forehead and bagging at the same time. John pushed the miracle drug, hoping she would come back with it. The medication in, the two medics sat on their haunches. Only CPR would help at the moment. After painful seconds, the monitor changed again and there was a pulse. Hank repeated Early's orders over the biophone. "We copy sinus brady, transport as soon as possible." The Captain looked at the two medics, making sure they heard, smiling slightly. _

_John stood up, "I'll talk with the husband." he said, leaving Roy, Chet, and Marco to get the necessary vitals. He walked into the living room and observed the scene. Mike was squatting next to a chair providing support. The dogs were sitting in their master's lap. They were pining for the kitchen, but the man was holding their collars. "Sir?" John said. The man looked up, "I have some questions for you."_

_The man nodded, "How is she?" he asked, scared to hear the answer. _

"_She's alive. We're taking her to Rampart." He nodded, looking up. The dogs pulled away from his hold racing for the kitchen. The man swore and Johnny ran after them. The two dogs came to a dead stop at Janice's feet. They stopped barking and looked at her, licking her ankles. They just knew. They backed away slowly, watching from under the table and whining softly. John gulped and went to help his partner. _

_At the hospital, Early called time of death, saying to the two, "I'm sorry guys, you did good." They walked dejectedly out of the treatment room, heading for the doctor's lounge. They sat on the couch, dreading what they were undoubtedly going to hear. It came, the husband's lament of grief could be heard through the hallway._

_Marco brought in the squad behind them. He knew where to find them when Dixie sadly shook her head at him. Walking into the lounge, he found the two medics sitting on the couch. "You okay?" he asked, already knowing the answer. They weren't, but they would be. _

"_Yeah." Roy heavily said, answering for both of them. "Let's go." _

_The two were coping, until the husband saw them leaving. He walked over to them and stopped them. Johnny could feel Marco changing his stance to a protective one, ready to defend his friends. What the husband said shocked them all. "Thank you." he uttered. "Thank you for working so hard."_

Ferocious bubbling pulled Johnny away from his thoughts. The water was for sure boiling now, spitting angrily from the pot. Johnny cursed when one landed on his hand as he shut the burner off. Letting his tea steep, he thought back to the man. "Who thanks us for that?" he mused out loud to an empty kitchen. Near empty kitchen, Henry huffed from the couch. "Sorry Henry, didn't mean to wake ya." Johnny said quietly. "Just, I've never been thanked for that before." he all but whispered. He took the tea bag out and trashed it. Taking his mug over to the couch, sitting on the opposite end, trying not to disturb Henry any further. The basset hound crawled over to him, laying down on his lap. Somehow the hound just knew that's what Johnny needed. "You guys just know huh?" he asked. "Her dogs did," he sighed, "It was heartbreaking." Henry licked his arm in consolation. Johnny took a sip of his tea, appreciative of it's taste. Mama Lopez had given it to him for Christmas one year when he complimented her on it. He smiled at the fond memory.

He was silently sipping his tea and petting Henry absentmindedly, when the kitchen light flicked on. Johnny blinked at the sudden light and looked up. Mike was standing in the doorway, clearly he hadn't noticed the lanky medic on the couch. "Hey Mike." John said silently, not wanting to startle the engineer.

Mike jumped anyway, quickly turning the light back off, "Sorry Gage," he said, "Didn't see ya there." He was also holding a tea bag. Johnny leaned over and turned the lamp sitting on the side table on.

"Waters still hot." Johnny said, pointing to the saucepan on the stove.

Mike looked at the pan and smirked, "Kettle go missing again?" he asked. John nodded. "So, why are you up?" Stoker asked as he poured his hot water. Opting to sit in the chair next to the couch, he placed his feet on the coffee table, crossing them.

Johnny looked at the normally tidy engineer with his feet on the table. He decided not to question it, it was too early in the morning. "I could ask you the same thing." Johnny coyly said.

Mike replied, knowing it was nearly impossible to crack John's protective shell that was his mind. "Okay, I'll bite. I can't forget about the dogs." Johnny didn't need to ask what dogs, he knew. He remained silent, nodding in response.

"I think I'm gonna go hiking tomorrow, want to come?" Gage asked. Offering his version of solace to the hurting engineer.

Mike looked up, genuinely thinking about it, "What day is tomorrow?" he paused, "Well, what day is today?"

Johnny smirked, "Today, tomorrow, whatever." getting serious he said, "Pretty sure it's Thursday."

Mike stared off in thought. "Thursday," he said, trying it out. "Sounds right to me." His voice thick he added, "I'd love too." They sat in companionable silence, sharing Henry until the morning klaxons went off.

When B shift relieved them, Mike and Johnny said farewell to their shiftmates in the parking lot. To the rest of A shift's surprise, they both crawled into Johnny's white range rover. Roy shared a glace with Marco as they climbed into their own cars. "You think they'll be okay?" Marco asked.

"I do." Roy said confidently.


End file.
